pacesetters
nounUK /ˈpeɪsˌsɛtəz/
US /ˈpeɪsˌsɛtərz/
Pacesetters are people who go first and show others how fast or how well to do something.
The fastest runners were the pacesetters for the rest of the race.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. People or groups that set a high standard others try to match.
The company is a pacesetter in green technology.
3. Runners who set the speed in the early part of a race.
The pacesetters kept a fast tempo for the first mile.
4. Things that determine the speed or rate of progress.
New machines became the pacesetters of factory output.